Instantly Comfortable

December 08, 1989|By SHARON CROWDER Staff Writer

Driving down Warwick Boulevard, you could easily miss Das Waldcafe. The restaurant, sandwiched between a bank and an upholstery outlet, is housed in an aging, nondescript brown building. There's no neon sign flashing out front, no fancy canopies over the windows.

Inside, there's no pretense either. It looks like what it is - a homey, neighborhood restaurant. The dining area consists of one not-so-large room. (There's a lounge in the back as well.) But the tables are thoughtfully spaced so you needn't be involved in the conversations of those sitting near you. There are fresh flowers on the tables. The walls are decorated with German wood carvings, a cuckoo clock and scenes of Germany. But mostly, what you'll notice is the wonderful aroma of sweet and sour in the air, and the unusual mix of people dining here (some old, some young, some speaking German.) It's the sort of place that immediately feels comfortable. On the Tuesday night of our visit, the restaurant was packed.

Waltraud and James Hollingsworth opened Das Waldcafe 14 years ago, in the same building where he had originally operated a dance hall. When the dance hall ran its course, Waltraud, who is German-born and has always loved to cook, was ready to create a job for herself. Together, with the help of their family, the Hollingsworths have fashioned an authentic German restaurant. The cooking is homestyle, "just as mother used to do," and everything (with the exception of the sausages and rolls) is made from scratch. Reinhilde Blackburn, who is also from Germany, has been the sole cook for the restaurant since its inception. Desserts, however, are prepared by Waltraud herself.

True to German homestyle tradition, the food is robust and hearty, and portions are extremely generous. The waitresses, in flowered dirndls, are friendly and efficient.

For our visit, we arrived in the latter part of the evening. Our waitress explained that the restaurant had been unusually busy and was out of the four appetizers listed on the menu. Choices include: soup of the day (lentil was offered that night, $1.35); gulaschsuppe, a hot and spicy beef soup ($2.95); marinated herring ($3.25); and shrimp cocktail ($5.75). Our waitress offered us a tasty house salad ($1.35) made with Boston lettuce, and dressed lightly with an herb-laced oil and vinegar dressing.

For an entree, my dinner partner ordered roulladen ($9.95) and chose spatzle and sauerkraut as accompaniments. Our waitress described the Roulladen as two rolls of thinly sliced sirloin, each stuffed with dill pickle, bacon and mustard, sauteed in hot oil then braised. It was served with a deep-colored, richly flavored brown sauce that was heavenly. The roulladen itself was unusual; it was melt-in-your-mouth tender; the pickle and bacon added interesting texture. We were disappointed that we couldn't taste the mustard, though; it would have given the dish a punch it lacked. The buttery spatzle (noodle dumplings) and the sauerkraut were both superb.

I chose Jager Schnitzel ($9.75) with potato dumplings and rotkraut (a sweet and sour red cabbage dish.) Das Waldcafe's version of this classic breaded veal steak topped with mushroom sauce was superb. The veal was of excellent quality, fork tender, lightly breaded, golden-brown, with a mushroom sauce that enhanced rather than overpowered its delicacy. The two big potato dumplings were dense and stick-to-the-ribs good. The rotkraut, with its blending of sweet and sour, was also excellent.

Hazelnut cake ($1.75) and cheesecake ($1.50) are standard dessert offerings. On the night of our visit, there was Black Forest Cake ($2.50) to choose from as well. The hazelnut cake was fine-textured and dense, covered with a thin layer of rich chocolate. It's the sort of dessert I still dream about, days later. The Black Forest Cake was obviously homemade, not moist and fluffy like American cakes but deliciously dense with cherries and chocolate.

There's a decent selection of German wines and beers to choose from, as well as mixed drinks. We started with a hearty Hofbrau beer, which proved a good accompaniment to our meals.

The last customers to leave, we came away feeling glad that Das Waldcafe builds its reputation on excellent food at reasonable prices, without all the fuss and pretention.

Daily Press reviewers visit restaurants unannounced and anonymously. Interviews with restaurant personnel are conducted afterward. The newspaper pays for all food and services and does not accept invitations from restaurants to do reviews.